Utopia ―桃源郷―
by Phantom Shyraz
Summary: Shinichi's price to pay to return to his Utopia at last.


Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

A/N: Written for Poirot Cafe SuperShort contest. Just to clarify a bit, 桃源郷/Tougenkyo is the home of the peach blossom orchid, a place that could be roughly translated as Utopia. The story comes from Eastern fable (Japanese? Chinese? I'm not too sure) where a fisherman stumbles across an island filled with peach blossoms. The inhabitants all live in harmony and where life was filled with happiness. His stay was brief and when he was about to leave, the inhabitants told the fisherman he will never find it again once he set sail. Even though the fisherman remembers the location, told people about this land of perfect harmony along with instructions to go there, none ever found the island again.

Theme: Peach

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 **Utopia ―** **桃源郷―**

Shinichi gazed out of the window with a sense of completeness and contentment. The pink peach blossom is a delightful welcome from the pure white of the room he had been confined to for the last six months. Looking around, the room held remnants of the antiseptic he had become used to. The continuous sounds emitted from the various machines now laid silent against the rustling of the gauzy fabric that acted as the curtains for the room. His stay here was a small price to pay for this Utopia.

"Shinichi?" The feminine voice of Ran came through the door with an apprehensive knock of the door. "Are you alright in there?"

"Of course." Shinichi picked up the bag from the low sofa set next to the windows in this private room. He carefully made his way towards the doors, knowing full well Ran would only wait a few more seconds before coming into the room itself.

The clicking of metal and rubber against the linoleum floor was a constant reminder. The events that had transgressed to achieve his Utopia. He was not the only person to have paid the price. Another, his exact opposite, who helped pull him out of that warehouse did not come out unscathed either. Thankfully, his rescuer only came out with superficial injuries, but they were still injuries that would forever be a reminder to the raging fire and fallen pillars.

"I'm coming in Shinichi." Ran was becoming impatient by the sounds of it and before he could respond, the doors pushed open to reveal her beautiful face. Next to her stood the imperfect reflection of himself. "I came with Kuroba-kun to help check you out of the hospital."

"I can manage you know." Shinichi sighed, knowing he would not be able to win this argument.

A calming hand made itself home on his shoulder and Shinichi looked up into the serene face. In return, he placed his own hand over the long slender hand of his companion. A squeeze on his shoulder prompted him to respond to the unvoiced question. He nodded before letting his own hands rest on his lap, allowing his companion to push him out of the hospital room. Ran kept the door opened as the wheelchair slide through into the hallways. A quick nod to the two officers stationed by the entrance, as thanks for their hard work thus far in keeping him safe from both his enemies and the media, Shinichi let himself be wheeled out with his friends by his side.

As they made their journey down towards the parking lot, Ran filled Shinichi in on the current events of their other friends whilst the other kept a silent smile on his face. From time to time, Shinichi would glance upwards to see if there was a change in the facial expression aside from the serene smile. But all he received in return was a cheeky grin instead.

"So Kuroba-kun is staying with you from now on?" Ran asked as they neared the lone car in the parking lot. An elderly man stepped out to open the trunk and side doors.

"Yes." Shinichi carefully slid himself out of the wheelchair. With some difficulty, he managed to place himself into the passenger seat of the car. After the wheelchair was stowed away along with the duffle bag, he turned his body back as much as he could to address his companions. "I hope you won't mind using my old room, it was probably the only one that didn't need much fixing up apart from moving my stuff out and a bit of light dusting."

A simple gesture and an amused grin told Shinichi he did not mind one bit. Shinichi was relieved.

"Well, just in case, we can always call in the decorators again to have the room refurbished to something that suited you better." Not waiting to see the reply, Shinichi turned his gaze back towards the front as the engine started. Looking up into the rear view mirror, he saw bright amethyst looking directly at him, an elegant eyebrow raised in a perfect arch up into the hairline. Shinichi let his eyes close for a moment, he could practically hear a voice telling him he was being overly polite again. Opening his eyes, he focused back onto the passing scenery.

The view came by in rushed smudges as they passed buildings and parks. They soon come up to the wrought iron gates and concrete fencing that delineate the mansion from the public domain. Once the wheelchair was placed at the side of the door, Shinichi manoeuvre himself back into the seat, motions already becoming more familiar as his practice continues. No doubt, he would soon be able to be less clumsy in his attempts, after all, it was now a survival skill. He still bore the bruises from his earlier lessons when the therapists were instructing him.

Entering the front door, Shinichi was not surprised to see the small changes made to the mansion to adjust for his new lifestyle. Instead of the single step in the entryway, it was now transformed to a low ramp for easy access. The long staircase was still there, Shinichi had said there won't be need for him to go upstairs anymore since his room is now moved down into the ground floor. Entering the designated room, he saw the floor to ceiling window facing the backyard looking out into the small bed of flowers surrounding a large peach blossom tree, with an access door and a small paved path leading out. There were railings off to one side for him to strengthen his upper body strength. The bed, at the same height as his current seat, was custom made with ease of access in mind.

"Shin-chan, welcome home." His mother held back her enthusiasm for once, ambling slowly towards him to give him a hug. Shinichi was thankful for his companion still holding onto the handlebars to stop him from toppling over.

"Good to see you home." His father's genteel smile portrayed his relief more than any words. "A welcome to you as well Kaito-kun. Thanks for helping with taking care of Shinichi."

A nod of acknowledgement was given to the elder before a poke to Shinichi's shoulder reminded him of the time.

"So, lunch?" Shinichi added his own smiling face to the surrounding friends and family as he was rolled back out into the dining room. It might not be perfect, he still had several regrets, but this was what he achieved, his own Utopia.

 **-END-**

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A/N: I'm still struggling whether to write a prequel/sequel to this. It has so much potential...


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